Automobile fan



K. C. FAIRMAN ET AL AUTOMOBILE FAN Filed April 2 1926 2 Sheets-Sheec 13nvcutod 4 1,66, July K. c. FAIRMAN ET AL 3 358 AUTOMOB ILE FAN FiledApril. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nuentow KNOWLTON C. I'AIRMN A1ID FRANK N.WAGNEB, OF CREEKSIDE, PENNBYLVINI.

Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMOBILE I'ALN.

Application flled April 28, 1926. Serial No. 105,242.

This invention relates to improvements in electric fans and moreparticularly t fans of the type desi ned to be mounted within a closedautomo ile to create a circulation of air therein.

One of the objects of the present inven tion is to ing asma electric fanwithin a closed automobile 'so that the fan may be bodily adjusted,together with its motor, to direct the air currents'therefrom toward anypart of the interior of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric fan which maybe readily installed within any automobile of the closed type and at anydesired point therein, without marring the finish of the interior of theautomobile body and Without the attaching and supporting means beingpar-' ticularly noticeable. In one embodiment, the invention has as afurther object to provide means whereby the osition of the fan withinthe automo-' bile ody may be changed whenever desired by merely bodilyremoving the fan and its motor from one mounting device and applying itto another, so that air currents may A be directed to any desired partof the interior of the automobile body and likewise in order that two ormore fans may be employed if desired.

In the accompanying draw1ngs Figure 1 is a perspective view illustratingone of the fans embodyng the invention mounted within the rear of thebody of an automobile of the closed type.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the fan, a portion of the structure beingshown in horizontal section.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view takensubstantially on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the directionindicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partlv in verticalsection, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a group perspective view illustrating the component parts ofthe mouriting shown in Figure 4, relatively separated.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of thedrawings, the

. numeral 1 indicates an electric motor upon rovide a novel means formount' 1 customary. The motor and fan do not dier from standardconstruction and these parts will be proportioned in accordance with thesize of the vehicle and other conditions. However, in accordance withthe present invention, the motor casing 1 is provided at the endopposite its end through which the shaft 2 extends, With a socket 7Which is interiorly of spherical contour and receives a spherical head 8formed or provided at the outer end of a stem 9 extending outwardly froman attaching plate indicated by the numeral 10. This plate may be of andesired marginal contour and any desired size and is adapted to besecured by sci*ews or other 'fastening elements 11 to any convenientpart of the interior of the automobile body within which the fan is tobe installed. The socket 7 preferably comprises a semi-spherical section7 Which is integral with the back or rear end of the motor casing and :1section 7 which is likewis semisp erical and disposed in confrontingrelation to the section 7, the two sections being held together aboutthe spherical head 8 by means of clamping bolts 12 fitted through theupper and lower sides of the sections at their meeting faces, as clearlyshown in Fi re 3 of the drawings, it being understood t et these boltsmay be loosened to permit of adjustment of the fan includ ing the motortherefor and then tightened to cause the sections of the socket tofirmly clamp the head 8 and thus hold the parts the fanor having theirclothing brought in contact therewith, a guard is provided and isindicated in gcneral by the numeral 13, and the said guard preferablycomprises a sec: tion 14 having a circular back 15 and a cylindricalwall 16, the back of the section being secured by screws or otherfastening elements 17 to the end of the motor casing and in positionwith the wall 16 concentric to the shaft 2 of the motor, the said backhaving a centrall; located opening 18 to accommodate the earing for themotor shaft. The guard further comprises :1 section 19 consisting"of arim 20 which fits over the wall 16 of the section 14 and has studs 21engaging in bayonet slots 22 in the said wall whereby the sections areseparably connected. The rim of the wall 16 is provided with a flange23, and the section 19 is provided with a similar flange 24, and acircular guard member 25 of wire mesh or other fo'raminous material isconfined at its margin between these flanges when the sections of theguard are assembled and this guard member revents anyone from coming incontact w1th the blades of the fan but at the same time, ofiers noappreciable interference to the delivery of air currents from the fan.In order that air may enter the guard, a number of relatively largeopenings 26 are preferably provided in the back 15 of the section 13.

The conductor cable 6 is led from any suitable source of current supply,as for exarple the battery of the automobile or a separate battery, andany suitable switch (not shown) may be employed for controlling thesupply of current.

In the embodimentof the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5ofthe'drawings, the fan and its driving motor may be readily dismountedand its position changed within the automobile in W ich it is installed,and in these figures, the numeral 27 indicates an attaching plate whichis sccured by screws or other suitable fastening elements 28 to anconvenient part of the automobile body, indicated by the numeral 29, andformed upon this plate or secured thereto, either as found expedient, isa tubular socket 30 similar to the sockets of dash and headlight lamps,the socket at its inncr end having mounted therein spaced electricalcontacts 31 to which are connected conductor wires 32 leading from thesource of current supply, the cable comprising these wires being ledthrough an openmg 33 formed in the automobile body 29 and being ledthrough an opening in the attaching plate 27 and into the socket andconnected with the contacts 31. In this embodiment of the invention, thesockets arcpreferably mounted within the body at the time ofmanufacture, and the covering or upholstering. ind1cated by the numeral34, is applied over the attaching plates, so that these plates areconcealed from view, althougb the sockets 30 pro ect through theupholstering. The socket 15 formed in its wall with a threaded open1ng35, and the socket accommodates a p ug 36 WhlCh has a radial seat 37formed therem to receive the end of a screw 27' which is threadedthrough the opening 35.

Electrical contacts 38 are mounted at the ends of the plug and conductorwires 39 are led through an opening 40 in one side-of the plug near theouter end thereof and through a bore 41 in the said plug and areelectrically connected with the contacts 38.

The plug 36 is provided at its outer end with a substantially sphericalhead 42, and the motor casing, which is indicated by the numeral 43, isformed or provided with a socket 44 at one end, fitting the said head soas to provide for universal adjustmcnt of the motor with respect to theaxis of the 3lug 36. The conductor wires 39 are led from the plug to themotor, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. A set screw 45 isthreaded through the wall of the socket 44 and may be adjusted to bindagainst the head 42 and thus hold the motor in its diferent positions ofadjustment.

The motor shaft is indicated by the numeral 46 and the hub 47 of the fanof the device, the blades of. which fan are indicated by the numeral 48,is secured by a set screw or other suitable fastening element 49 to thesaid shaft.

The guard, in this form of the invention, corresponding to the guard 13of the previously described form, is indicated in general by the numeral50 and the same comprises a section 51 having a circular back 52 and acylindrical circumferential wall 53, the back of the section beingsecured by screws or other fastening elements 54 to the end of the motorcasing, the back having an opening 55 concentric to the said wall 53 toaccommodate the bearing for the motor shaft. The guard comprises anothersection indicated by the numeral 56 which consists of a rim 57 whichfits over the wall 53 of the section 51 and is provided with studs 58engaging in bayonet slots 59 formed in the said wall whereby the rim ishold to the said section 51 in a manner to permit of removal of the rim.The wall 53 is preferably'provided with a flange 60 at its rim or outeredge, and the rim comprising the section 56 is likewise provided with afiange which is indicated by the numeral 61 and betweenwhich and theflange 60 is arranged the peripheral portion of a guard member 62 whichis of wire mesh or other foraminous material, this member preventinganyone coming in contact with the blades of the fan and, at the sametime, oflering no appreciable interference to the delivery of aircurrents from the fan. In order that air may freely enter the casingcomprising the guard, a plurality of relatively large openings 63 isformed in the back 52 of the section 51 of the guard.

In the embodiment of the invention just described, a number of thesockets 30 Will be arranged within the body of the automobile at variousselected points and the position of the fan may, therefore, be varied bymerely withdrawing the plug 36 from the socket in which it has beenpreviously inserted and inserting the said plug in another selected oneof the s0ckets. Of course, two or more fans may thus be selectivelyarranged within the body of the automobile so as to direct air currentsin various directions. A single switch may, of course, be employed tocontrol the supply of current to all of the sockets, inasmuch as nocurrent will pass at the point of location of any of the sockets intowhich the plug 36 is not fitted.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as adapted forembodiment in automobiles, it will be evident that it can be employed invarious other places as, for example, on motor bouts, Pullman cars, orthe staterooms of steamships.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is:

In a device of the class described, an attaching base, a socketprojecting therefrom and having electrical contacts therein for theconnection of conductorwires led through the base, a plug removablyfitted into the socket and haing a passage opening through the side andone end thereof for the recept-ion of conductor wires, the plug havingcon tacts at its said end for the connection of said wires and forengagng the contacts of the socket, meanscarried by the socket forengaging the plug t0 retain the same in the socket, an electric motorand fan driven thereby, the motor including a casing, and coacting halland socket member upon the lug and the motor casing, the socket memerhaving a. set screw threaded through its Wall for direct engagement withthe ball member for holding the socket member in various positions ofangular adjustment upon said hall member. 7

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

KNOVVLTON C. FAIRMAN. [L.S.] FRANK N. WAGN R. [L. 5.]

